LS: Good to see others were thinking of you early on in this thread.
Yes, losing the House was bad, very bad. But it did several things I am only now becoming aware of:
1. Threw Ryan out as Speaker-in-Name-Only. Without his opposition to Trump, the remaining repubbies have eliminated a major opponent.
2. McConnell is (somewhat) now cowed, and SC’s McCain-fiend (er, friend) Graham is no longer locked in McCain’s shadow as a easy-interview, an easy enemy-of-Trump in front of the cameras.
3. Pelosi’s extremism is visible in all its hypocrisy. As is Cumming’s, Water’s, Nadler’s, AOC’s, hijab’s, and the rest.
4. Ryan - to CREATE the November 2018 blue wave! - had to encourage dozens of older RINO’s to “retire” (er, quit) so democrats were NOT running against incumbents. That, along with hundreds of thousands of illegal and after-the-election votes in California, enabled Pelosi to rise.
But it also removed those RINO-GROPElites from office!
Dems taking control of the House had nothing to do with Ryan leaving the Speakership - he did not run for re-election and was no longer going to be a member of the House regardless.
Second, McConnell is not cowed, as evidenced by bringing to vote the Trump emergency declaration for the border. He continues the high intensity, low visibility battle with Trump. As many senators have said over the years. I was here before the president and I will be here after the president.
There are still plenty of RINOs in office - plenty.